And the correct answer is…

1. Victims of teen dating violence confide in other teens.

True

False

False. The majority of abused teens don’t tell anyone. Only 33 percent of teens who were in an abusive relationship ever told anyone about it.

2. Victims of teen dating violence are more likely to abuse drugs, have eating disorders and attempt suicide.

True

False

True. Victims of teen dating violence also report more struggles in school and poor grades.

3. Technology (mobile phones, social networking sites, etc.) has made teen dating abuse more prevalent and hidden.

True

False

True. One in 10 teens claim they’ve been threatened physically via email, text, IM, chat, etc.

4. One in 10 girls who have been in a serious relationship say they’ve been concerned about being hurt by their partner.

True

False

False. One in three girls say they’ve been concerned about being hurt by their partner.

5. One in five girls who have been in a relationship say they’ve been text messaged up to 30 times by a partner checking up on them.

True

False

False. One in three teens report this level of digital harassment.

6. Does your teen:

Apologize and/or make excuses for his/her partner’s behavior?

Show less interest in activities that he/she used to enjoy?

See less of friends and family members and seem more and more isolated?

Casually mention the partner’s violent behavior, but laughs it off as a joke?

Have unexplained injuries and have explanations that don’t make sense or doesn’t want to talk about them?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, your teen may be in an abusive relationship. Call the National Dating Abuse Helpline any time of day or night at 1-866-331-9474 for counseling and support. It’s anonymous and confidential.

Learn more about teen dating violence at Be Smart. Be Well. Domestic Violence.